Do you believe that "White" america truly understand the state of black people in america?

Question

I ask the questions that need to be asked to understand what people truly believe about "race relations" in america. From the responses I receive (view my questions), white people seem to think they know more about "US" than we know about ourselves.

Do understand that I am one man who knows and believes that the healing of our people and the harm of our people rest solely on the shoulders of black people.

Understanding the social separation that this country offers amongst minorities and those of whites are clearly different. Any person who would say that it is not IS A FOOL.

If you recongnized a beautiful woman or an attractive man walking down the street and I thought that that same person was unattractive, does that make me any more right or wrong than you? Or vice versa? NO... it simply means we have different views. It is impossible to look through the eyes of another man/woman. Blacks can't see White and Whites can't see Black. We live in a color blind nation

Answer 1

u cant make genralizations like that

Answer 2

I answer numerous questions on this subject, and I always say the same -- that people should be judged by their character and not by their skin color. However, as a nation I would venture to say there is a great deal of prejudice, even since the Equal Rights Amendment, and maybe because of it. I think a lot of whites resent the fact that black people want to be treated as equals, and that's wrong. Our nations's credo that "All Men Are Created Equal" often falls on deaf ears. And all "Americans" are made up of a myriad of ethnic groups -- we all have ancestry that originated in some other country, whether it be Africa, Australia, Asia or Europe.

With the world in the situation it is today -- fighting in the Middle East, exorbitant gas prices, germ warfare, natural disasters, etc. etc., it's more important than ever to get along with eachother. I think cultural diversity is great in that it helps us learn a lot about one another. But when the going is tough, that's when the tough need to get going and present a united front.

Answer 3

I want to empathize but its very difficult.

Black Americans make it hard not to pre-judge. I see the same attitudes all the time. The hatefulness & resignation.

I've worked with blacks, had them as employees and co-workers. Once I temped and had a black as a boss. Consistant problems. Bad attitudes, difficulty with projects, almost no work done. I know thats based on a very limited number, but between that and dealing with black people in general, it gets very hard to remain optimistic.

In general, blacks either ignore you or give you a hard time. Or ask you for money. The sad part is, one on one, sometimes blacks can be decent. But in groups they're feeding off some bad energy, as if its a social imperative that they give the whites a hard time. It makes public transportation so bad the car companies should be sending black people checks, cuz most whites simply won't use public transportation for exactly these problems.

How many times have I started talking to individual blacks, meeting again on the street to talk again or say hi, only to be rebuffed later when I make the mistake of saying hello to them when he's with other blacks. This has happened to me several times.

Blacks can be terrible, but they're also the nicest people I've ever met. When they decide to be decent.

I agree that whites and blacks in America are out of phase, but only because both sides agree to. That takes a lot of energy. I'm tired of it all. Aren't you?

Answer 4

I think most everyone could stand to learn more (a lot more) about cultures and groups other than his or her own.

I'm sure I don't know as much as I might think, or I just don't realize differences.

I dated a woman who was biracial. It was just not an issue for me or for her. But I was surprised how many folks had a problem - it's the 21st century already! But they have a right to their opinion. And I to mine.

I feel like there's only one race - the human race. But society has not been set up that way. There is a big gap still there between cultures. I don't know how to bridge it, or what to do. I just try to take people as I find them, and be the best person I can be. I hope I'm never done learning and growing.

Peace.

Answer 5

There are all sorts of white people and all sorts of black people in America. There's a HUGE range of diversity within races, much more so than between races. A guy in rural Texas may not be able to relate to a black woman in the same way that a black woman in Philadelphia will not relate to the guy in Texas. It's all relative.

Is it so important that we all understand each other anyway? I think it is impossible to really see the world through another's eyes, regardless of race, gender, and ethnicity.

Answer 6

What is the state of Black America? There are social separations between more than just whites and blacks.
Every race of man has people who are productive, artistic,
or wise. There are are also the misbegotten.
I hate the words " race relations". I don't have a relationship with a race. My relations are with a lot of different people.
Some of them hate my music, but love my cooking.
I rejoice in my ethnicity. Can you guess what it is?
Make friends, have a conversation .

Answer 7

What I don't understand is why a black man will think that the world owes them something because their great great etc. grandfather was a slave. That slave was a slave because their parents sold them into slavery. The world owes them nothing, their life is what they make of it, what they do with their free education, and the countless grants for minority groups to go to college AFTER the 12 years of public education. I think in some situations it is wrong to try and see things through someone's eyes when you can't experience a day in their shoes. I DO see what goes on in my city, state, and country. And it's funny because I was riding on my boyfriend's motorcycle, and at the stoplight was a group of boys raising money for their basketball team. I would have given a dollar or two, except for when we pulled up, he tried to steal our motorcycle! Now do I judge all black people because one black man tried to do me wrong? No I don't. But it is those black people that need the talking to, because they are the ones making the black race look bad, not the white man.

Answer 8

america is a part of this beautiful world,a world that consists of more than one colour, and colour is only skin deep we should look at the inner colour of a person and you would be surprised we are all having the same colour blood ,the state of black or for that matter , white is how we as individuals deal with it, a lot of americans do not understand the black, but a lot of americansdo care for the plight of the black, but if the people at the top are only caring about the progress of one section of people and overlooking the rest well its bound to make way for hatred and bitterness,we are one world one people looking for peace, so live and let live, without taking the colour of skin into consideration.

Answer 9

I can sum it up for you; Katrina and the aftermath. The one year anniversary is coming upon America. Remember the plight of the victims and the majorities color of skin. Think of the rebuilding efforts, mismanagement of funds, lack of supplies, and the disparate ploy to acquire land at low prices as defraud, and the replace old homes with new million dollar condos. No I do not think White America truly understands the state of Black people in America; and rarely comprehends its advantageous for both groups.

Answer 10

I don't think I understand the situation of black America. I try, but it's very difficult to do - as almost everything plastered on the media, newspapers, et al of the culture screams harm and danger.

I do have the pleasure of hanging out with a gentleman named Brandon at school. He's a black man, he's 35 years old. I'm 21. We shoot around a lot of things, and it's finally gotten to the point where I can ask him things about his culture that I don't understand.

One day I was listening to a song by the Black Eyed Peas - and mind you, this was merely a month ago - and in the song there were *several* different forms of RAP. Some were funny, this one guy was trying to be thuggish, another guy was trying to be pimp, another guy was happy go lucky, etc. It finally hit me in full realization (although I had told myself before "there is differences! etc!" I finally *understood*) - that the race is shock full of sub cultures, much like white people.

I grew up wearing all black and painting my nails black, I grew up with a mohawk through HS.

So I asked this friend of mine, what it's like to be black. What are the sub cultures like. He had a vast knowledge of white subculture - he knew the difference between punks and goths and preps and jocks and so on and so forth. I had no knowledge of the difference between people. He admitted he was a music person (eclectic, jazz, techno) and that if he saw a thug in Denver he'd have just as much to fear as a white guy. It had nothign to do with color - but more with "territorial locations."

A white guy, on the other hand, can go from California to NY and if he looks the part he will fit in. Apparently, he said he thought, it was not like that for the black race.

All of this was of course, a complete dawn of knowledge to me. The way subcultures work within each other, and the way that the entire race has more knowledge about the "majority" race of the country (whites) was something that baffled me. I was always raised to believe that "i should treat everyone equally" and that "this is a nation of equality".... but, err, no, it's not - I proved it to myself by being able to count what I knew about the black race (think sociology level wise) in one hand.

I do feel opressed though. I feel that every time a black man is in the room I have to walk on egg shells. I feel that every time someone mentions race or color I have to be careful of what is said. I have applied for a job before and someone without a HS degree (I'm in college, w/ HS degree) received it. He was missing teeth. He was black. I can't imagine why.... except one reason. I hate thinking like that, I really do, but it's so easy.

Except with Brandon, he's cool, we talk about stuff, he is very like me in all our jokes, etc; and he's full of info when I'm curious about him. So that's fun. Meh, anyway, no, I don't know about black culture. I was raised to not question it, and questioning it could lead to me being called a racist. I just stayed away from it, and from it, I became stupid in that sense.

Answer 11

I think that some white people understand in a sense. They might never go through it but they can see where black people are coming from. It's not the same experiencing something and being aware of it.